Circuit-controlling device.



atented Nov.. T, 1916.

H. E. WARREN.

CIRCUIT COIITRULLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 12. 1915.

HENRY E. WARREN', 0F ASHLAND, MASSACHUSETTS.

CIRCUIT-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led February 12, 1915. Serial No. 7,880.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1, HENRY E. WARREN, a citizen of the United States,residing in Ashland, in the county of Middlesex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Circuit-ControllingDevices, of which the following description, in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on thedrawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to a circuit controlling device, and has for itsobject to provide the same with a bodily movable member, which iscapable of being moved at one end without effecting for a limited timethe circuit which is controlled by said member. To this end, the bodilymovable member of the circuit controlling device may and preferably willbe made as a flexible reed, strip or bar, which is provided between itsends with a weight, which serves to resist the movement of the contactcarrying end of the reed until the velocity of the other end has beenlessened sufficiently to permit the elasticity of the reed to overcomethe inertia of the weight, whereupon the contact carrying end is movedto open or close the circuit as the case may be. The end of the reedwhich is initially moved, may be moved by electromagnetic means, and inthe present instance I have illustrated one construction of such means.These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical section and elevation of one form of apparatusprovided with a circuit controlling device embodying this invention, andFigs. 2 and 3 detail of the circuit controlling device shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings a represents a metal bar, strip or reed, whichconstitutes the bodily movable member of a circuit controller hereinshown, and in the present instance the reed a is provided at one endwith contacts 10, 12, which coperate with fixed terminals 13, 14. Thereed a is secured at its other end to a device for effecting bodilymovement of the reed, and between its ends, the said reed is providedwith a weight, which is herein shown as two metal disks 16, secured toopposite sides of the reed by a rivet 18 or otherwise. The device forbodily moving the reed a is herein shown as a bracket or arm 20, towhich one end of the reed a is firmly secured by screws 21 or otherwise,and said bracket is attached to a movable member 22, shown as a cylinderof magnetizable material, which is open at its upper end and surrounds acoarse winding 23 and a fine winding 24 of an electromagnet, whose core25 and armature 26 are firmly fastened to a disk 27, attached to aninclosing casing 28, which is provided at its upper end with anenlargement forming la chamber 30, within which the circuit controllingdevice is located.

rlhe inclosing case 28 is herein shown as attached to a valve casing 32,provided with a valve 33, sustained by a diaphragm 34, which is clampedat its circumference between the casing 28 and the valve casing 32. Thevalve 33 coperates with a port 35 and controls the iiow of iiuid throughthe valve casing 32 and the pipe 36 in which the valve casing islocated.

rlhe casing 28 is provided with a removable cover 40 preferably ofinsulating material, which carries binding posts 41, 42, with one ofwhich, as 41, one end 43 of the coarse winding 23 is connected, and withthe other 42 of which the end 45 of the fine winding 24 is connected.The other end 46 of the coarse winding 23 is connected with the circuitterminal 14, and the other end 47 of the fine winding 24 is Connectedwith the circuit terminal 13. rThe windings 23, 24, are herein shown asincluded in a circuit provided with a battery 50, which has one polegrounded on the pipe 36 by the wire 51, and its other pole connected tothe movable member 52 ofv a switch, said member copera'ting with thecontact terminals 53, 54, which are connected by wires 55, 56, with thebinding posts 41, 42. rlhe reed a is connected with the grounded side ofthe circuit by a wire 57, which connects it with the casing 28. Thevalve 33 has coperating with its upper surface the head 58 of a rod 59,which is carried by the head of the cylinder 22 and extends loosely intothe core 25.

As represented in Fig. 1, the circuits of the electromagnets 23, 24, areopen, and the weight 16 holds the reed a; down into engagement with thecontact terminal 14, and the coils or windings 23, 24, being denergized,the cylinder 22 is in its lowered posi-` tion and the valve 33 isclosed, thereby interrupting the flow of Huid through the pipe 36 andvalve casing 32. If it is desired to Patented Nov. 7, 1916.

positive pole of the battery 50 by wire 51 to the pipe 36 and casing 28,thence by wire 57, reed a, contact 12 to terminal 14, thence by wire 46,coil 23, and wire 43 to binding post 41, thenceby wire 55, button 53 andswitch lever 52 to battery. The coil 23 is energized and sets up astrong magnetic field in the magnetizableparts 22, 25,26, thus causingthe cylinder or member 22 to jump up into contact with the armature 26.As the mem- 15 `ber 22 is 'moved toward the armature 26, it

carries the bracket with it, and the latter moves the end of the reedattached toit, but on account 'of the great inertia of the weight 1 6,the reed as a whole tends momentarily 20 to pivot about its center, withthe result that the Contact carrying end of the reed is held down withconsiderable force against the terminal 27 as long as the member 22 ismoving upward. When, however, the member 22 strikes againstthe armatureA26, its

upward movement instantly ceases, and a permanent magnetic circuit isestablished through the core 25, disk 26 and cylinder 22, which issuiiciently strong to hold the mem- 30 ber 22 up without the passageofcurrent through the coil 23. The reed a soon overcomes the inertia ofthe .weight 16, and its contact carrying end moves from the positionrepresented in Fig. 2, into that represented in Fig. 3, thereby removingthe contact 12 from engagement with the terminal 14 and bringing thecontact 10 into engagement with the terminal 13. The circuit of the coil23 is thus opened and that of the coil 24 is closed at this point, butis opened at the switch 52. When the member 22 is moved upwardly asdescribed, the valve is opened, which is effected in the presentinstance by the pressure of the fluid on the underside of the diaphragm.When it is desiredto close the valve 33, the switch lever 52 is thrownonto the terminal 54, which 'closes the circuit of the inewinding 24,which acts to demagnetize the member 22,

and allows the latter to descend and close the valve. When the member 22descends, it carries with it the bracket 20 and the reed pivots in theopposite direction, so that the contact 10 is maintained in engagementwith 55 the terminal momentarily until the member 22 has come to rest,at which time the contact is moved away from the terminal.

In the present instance I have illustrated the circuit controller inconnection with one` to limit the invention to the construction or formof device for actuating it, but it is not desired to limit the inventionto the particular construction of actuating device herein shown. I havealso shown one form or construction of movable member embodying theinvention, but it is not desired particular construction shown.

Claims: v 1.l In a device of the character described, in combination, anactuator having a movable member, a flexible reed connected at one endwith said member and capable of vibrating between contacts at its otherend, said reed carrying a mass of considerable inertial tending to holdthe contact end of the reed momentarily stationary while the other endis moving.

2. A Contact changing device provided with means for utilizing inertiato maintain a contact momentarily until after the termination of motionimpressed upon said device and means for moving said device.

3. In a device of the character described, a bodily movable contactmember, a circuit terminal with which one -end of said member coperates,means coperating with the opposite end of said member for effectingbodily movement of. the latter, and a weight carried by said memberbetween its ends to retard the movement of the free end of said member.

4. In a device of the character described, a bodilyv movablecontactmember, a circuit terminal with which one end of said member coperates,an electro-magnet provided with an armature, a magnetizable membermovableby saidelectromagnet into proximity to said armature to establisha magnetic circuit through said member, means for connecting saidmovable contact member with the movable magnetizable member, and aweight carried by the movable contact member between its ends.

5. A contact. changing device provided with means for utilizing inertiato maintain a contact momentarily between one end of said device and acoperating contact member until after the termination of motionimpressed upon the other end of said contact changing device, and meansfor moving said contact changing device.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY E. WARREN.

Witnesses:

JAS. H. CHURoHiLL, J. MURPHY.

